[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 240 (Friday, December 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86885-86887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26905]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Hawaii-California Training 
and Testing Activities

AGENCY: Department of the Navy (DoN), Department of Defense (DoD).

[[Page 86886]]


ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, and regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental 
Quality, the Department of the Navy (DoN)(including both the U.S. Navy 
and the U.S. Marine Corps) in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, 
U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force, announces its intent to prepare the 
Hawaii-California Training and Testing (HCTT) Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS)/Overseas EIS (OEIS). The HCTT EIS/OEIS will include an 
analysis of range sustainment and modernization activities, training 
activities; and research, development, testing, and evaluation 
activities (hereafter referred to as ``testing'') that will be 
conducted in the HCTT Study Area. When discussed together, training and 
testing are also referred to as ``military readiness activities.'' The 
DoN is initiating a 45-day public scoping process to receive comments 
on the scope of the EIS/OEIS including identification of potential 
alternatives and environmental concerns, information and analyses 
relevant to the Proposed Action, issues the public would like to see 
addressed in the EIS/OEIS, and the project's potential to affect 
historic properties pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966.

DATES: The 45-day public scoping period begins on December 15, 2023, 
and extends to January 29, 2024. The scoping period is extended 15 
calendar days (from the usual 30-day period) since it overlaps with the 
holidays. Comments must be postmarked or submitted electronically via 
the website no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on January 29, 2024 
for consideration in the Draft EIS/OEIS. The DoN will host a virtual 
open house presentation on the project website during the scoping 
period to provide information related to the Proposed Action, its 
purpose and need, environmental resource areas to be analyzed in the 
EIS/OEIS, the NEPA process, the consultation under NHPA, and public 
involvement opportunities.

ADDRESSES: The DoN invites all interested parties to submit scoping 
comments on the EIS/OEIS or information regarding historic properties 
or section 106 consulting party interest through the project website at 
http://www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis or by mail to: Naval Facilities 
Engineering Systems Command, Pacific, Attention: HCTT EIS/OEIS Project 
Manager, 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. Pacific Fleet Command, Attn: Mr. 
Sean Gano, Environmental Public Affairs Specialist, 808-474-8441, or 
visit the project website: http://www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet is the DoN's 
lead action proponent. Additional DoN action proponents include Naval 
Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Information 
Warfare Systems Command, Office of Naval Research, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Expeditionary Warfare Center, and the U.S. Marine Corps 
(USMC). In addition, this EIS/OEIS includes certain activities by the 
U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force when those activities 
are similar to Navy or Marine Corps activities and are scheduled on 
Navy controlled at-sea ranges.
    Proposed military readiness activities are consistent with those 
analyzed in the 2018 Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing 
(HSTT) EIS/OEIS and the 2022 Point Mugu Sea Range (PMSR) EIS/OEIS, and 
are representative of training and testing activities that have been 
conducted off Hawaii and California for more than 80 years.
    The EIS/OEIS will include an analysis of military readiness 
activities using new information including an updated acoustic effects 
analysis, updated marine mammal density data, and evolving and emergent 
best available science.
    The HCTT Study Area (hereafter referred to as the (``Study Area'') 
is comprised of established operating and warning areas across the 
Pacific Ocean, from California west to Hawaii and the International 
Date Line. The HCTT Study Area differs from the HSTT Study Area in that 
HCTT includes an extended Southern California (SOCAL) Range Complex; 
special use airspace corresponding to the new extensions (Proposed W-
293 and W-294); two existing training and testing ranges, the PMSR and 
Northern California (NOCAL) Range Complex; areas along the Southern 
California coastline from approximately Dana Point to Port Hueneme; and 
four amphibious approach lanes providing land access from the NOCAL 
Range Complex and PMSR. The Study Area also includes in-water areas of 
San Diego Bay, Port Hueneme, and Pearl Harbor, including select 
pierside facilities associated with DoN ports and naval shipyards and a 
transit corridor on the high seas and the channels and routes to and 
from those ports that are not part of the range complexes, where 
training and testing may occur during vessel transit.
    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to ensure U.S. military 
services are able to organize, train, and equip service members and 
personnel to meet their respective national defense missions in 
accordance with their Congressionally mandated requirements \1\ and 
advance joint interoperability in Navy led exercises with other 
military service.
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    \1\ 10 United States Code (U.S.C.), sections 8062 (Navy), 8063 
(USMC), 7062 (U.S. Army), 9062 (U.S. Air Force) and 14 U.S.C., 
sections 101 and 102 (USCG).
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    The Proposed Action is to conduct at-sea military readiness 
activities and range modernization within HCTT the Study Area. 
Activities include the use of active sonar and explosives while 
employing marine species protective mitigation measures.
    The Navy has identified two preliminary action alternatives to 
carry forward for analysis in the EIS/OEIS along with the No Action 
Alternative. Alternative 1 reflects a representative year of training 
and testing to account for the natural fluctuation of training cycles 
and deployment schedules that generally limit the maximum level of 
training occurring every year over any seven-year period. Alternative 2 
reflects the maximum number of training and testing activities that 
could occur within a given year and assumes that the maximum level of 
activity would occur every year over any seven-year period. As required 
by NEPA for the purpose of establishing a baseline for analysis, a No 
Action Alternative will be evaluated which represents a scenario where 
no military readiness activities are conducted in the Study Area. The 
tempo and types of training and testing activities have fluctuated 
because of the introduction of new technologies, the evolving nature of 
international events, advances in war fighting doctrine and procedures, 
and changes in force structure (organization of ships, submarines, 
aircraft, weapons, and Sailors). Such developments influence the 
frequency, duration, intensity, and location of required training and 
testing activities. The HCTT EIS/OEIS will reflect the current 
compilation of training and testing activities required to fulfill the 
military readiness requirements, and therefore both action alternatives 
include the analysis of newly proposed activities and changes to 
previously analyzed activities. Additionally, both action alternatives 
will include modernization and sustainment of ranges necessary to 
support military readiness activities. Modernization and sustainment

[[Page 86887]]

proposals include new special use airspace in Southern California, an 
expansion of an underwater training range near San Clemente Island, and 
installation and maintenance of mine training areas off Hawaii and 
California.
    Environmental resources that are determined to be potentially 
affected are carried forward for full analysis. Resources to be 
evaluated include, but are not limited to, biological resources 
(including marine mammals, reptiles, fishes, vegetation, invertebrates, 
habitats, birds, and other protected species), sediments and water 
quality, air quality, cultural resources, socioeconomic resources, and 
public health and safety. The EIS/OEIS will also analyze measures that 
would avoid, minimize, or mitigate environmental effects. The Navy will 
conduct all coordination and consultation activities required by the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NHPA, Endangered Species Act 
(ESA), National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbor 
Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Clean Air Act, and other laws and 
regulations determined to be applicable to the project. As part of this 
process, the DoN will seek the issuance of regulatory permits and 
authorizations under MMPA and ESA to support at-sea mission readiness 
activities within the Study Area, beginning in December 2025.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.8, the DoN invited the National Marine 
Fisheries Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to be 
cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS/OEIS.
    The scoping process invites comments on the scope of the EIS/OEIS 
including identification of potential alternatives, information and 
analyses relevant to the Proposed Action, identification of 
environmental concerns, issues the public would like to see addressed 
in the EIS/OEIS, and the projects potential to affect historic 
properties pursuant to Section 106 of the NHPA. Parties with 
demonstrated interest in the undertaking and its effects on historic 
properties may request to become a consulting party in the section 106 
process. Federal agencies, State agencies, local agencies, Native 
American Indian Tribes and Nations, Native Hawaiian Organizations, the 
public, and interested persons are encouraged to provide comments.
    Comments must be postmarked or submitted electronically via the 
website no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on January 29, 2024 for 
consideration during the development of the Draft EIS/OEIS. Comments 
can be submitted electronically via the project website at http://www.nepa.navy.mil/hctteis or mailed to the address noted above.
    After the scoping period, DoN will coordinate with participating 
and cooperating agencies to develop a Draft EIS/OEIS. The DoN intends 
to release the Draft EIS/OEIS in the fall of 2024, release the Final 
EIS/OEIS in the fall of 2025, and sign a Record of Decision following 
the 30-day Final EIS/OEIS wait period.

    Dated: December 4, 2023.
J.E. Koningisor,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-26905 Filed 12-14-23; 8:45 am]
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